The Villainous Senior Brother Doesn't Want to Wash White [Transmigration] - Chapter 10

This was the second time Qi Ye had heard the prompt regarding Ji Yanqing’s favorability.

Even though Senior Brother said the food was terrible, the voice said he was extremely satisfied with my cooking. Does this mean Senior Brother Ji is only dismissive on the surface, but actually likes it in his heart?

With this thought, Qi Ye began to observe Ji Yanqing unobtrusively. He remembered that when Ji Yanqing took a bite of the roasted chicken earlier, his eyes had instantly lit up. Furthermore, after saying “terrible,” Senior Brother Ji appeared full of disdain, yet his gaze drifted toward him as if quietly observing his reaction.

He likely said that hoping I would leave in a fit of pique, right?

If Qi Ye hadn’t heard the system prompt, he likely would have done exactly that. But since he now knew Ji Yanqing’s true thoughts, he naturally wouldn’t let him have his way.

Contrary to Ji Yanqing’s expectations, Qi Ye didn’t get angry at the unreasonable behavior. Instead, he lowered his eyes obediently and said, “Since Senior Brother doesn’t like it, I’ll take it outside and throw it away.”

As he spoke, Qi Ye made a move to pick up the dishes.

St—Stop!

Seeing the delicious food he had only tasted once about to be ruthlessly discarded, Ji Yanqing instinctively pressed his hand over Qi Ye’s.

At this action, Qi Ye looked up, his dark eyes unreadable. Meeting those eyes, Ji Yanqing realized what he had done and yanked his hand away as if struck by lightning. He forced a panicked explanation: “Fine, since you’ve already made it, throwing it away would be a waste. I’ll… reluctantly eat some.”

Ji Yanqing tried his best to look like he was suffering through it, but his eyes, which occasionally glanced at the food, betrayed him. His conflicted yet adorable reaction was fully captured by Qi Ye.

“In that case, Senior Brother can reluctantly continue eating. I’ll go outside to practice my sword and return shortly.”

Qi Ye was satisfied with this bit of teasing. He felt that if he stayed longer, he might truly be unable to resist exposing Ji Yanqing, so he gave him a graceful exit. After saying this, Qi Ye turned to leave, but Ji Yanqing’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Hey!”

Qi Ye stopped and turned back, somewhat confused. Something was tossed into his arms. Ji Yanqing said in a harsh tone, “Cloud City is cold at night. If you fall ill, I won’t have time to look after you.”

Qi Ye looked down at his hands; it was a light white fox-fur cloak. Cloud City was high in the sky, and even with spiritual energy protection, the chill could still seep into the body. This cloak was perfect for warding it off.

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Qi Ye’s lips curved slightly, and he left wearing the cloak.

Under the moonlight, the youth in white moved with fluid grace. Though his sword moves were a feast for the eyes, after a few rounds, they lacked his usual steady intent. Qi Ye knew his mind was unsettled and no longer suitable for practice, so he withdrew his sword and wandered the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t large, but the layout was exquisite, with flowing water and fallen flowers reminiscent of a southern water town. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes nearby.

Is someone else here?

Qi Ye grew alert, his long sword partially unsheathed. But when he reached the bushes, he saw no human figure—only a small, fluffy white ball crouched there, its deep blue eyes watching him warily.

A kitten?

Qi Ye approached the bushes with uncertainty. Before the age of fifteen, he had lived at the foot of the mountain and was most familiar with stray dogs and cats. But were there strays in Cloud City too?

Seeing the wariness in its eyes, Qi Ye placed a piece of roasted chicken on the ground—a piece from his earlier failed attempt—trying to entice the kitten out. Smelling the aroma, the white ball cautiously took a few steps forward. Once it determined the person meant no harm, it began to eat heartily.

Qi Ye noticed that the kitten limped as it walked; it seemed to be injured. As the little white ball focused on the chicken, Qi Ye carefully moved closer and reached out his hand.

The kitten, previously focused on its meal, instantly became alert. It jumped back a step, arched its back, and hissed at Qi Ye, waving its claws to warn him not to approach. Yet, those blue eyes were secretly peeking at the unfinished chicken.

Looking at the kitten, Qi Ye suddenly felt it was strikingly similar to Ji Yanqing.

On a whim, Qi Ye didn’t leave. Instead, he reached out and squeezed the kitten’s paw. It was soft and felt quite nice.

“Mew mew mew!” The white ball let out a cry, but its struggle wasn’t very fierce. Qi Ye stroked the back of its neck a few times, and the fluffy body eventually went completely limp, a purring sound coming from its throat.

While soothing it, Qi Ye checked the white ball’s injury. It had likely been a stray for a long time; its back leg had been caught by something, resulting in a broken bone. Qi Ye performed a simple bandage on the leg and stood up.

Estimating that Ji Yanqing had finished eating, Qi Ye prepared to head back. But just then, a fluffy paw grabbed his hem. Qi Ye looked down; the little white ball that had been so fierce earlier was now sprawled at his feet, its clear blue eyes looking at him pitifully.

In the room, Ji Yanqing had just finished his meal with satisfaction when Qi Ye returned. Naturally, his arms held an additional white ball that had successfully “scammed” its way into his care.

Ji Yanqing asked, “Why did you bring a Lei back?”

Qi Ye was confused. “A Lei? Isn’t it just a stray cat?”

Perhaps because Qi Ye had tactfully left earlier, Ji Yanqing was in a good mood. He looked at the Lei with interest and explained: “Junior Brother, this is a divine beast—a Lei. It is recorded in the Shanhai Zhiyi as being shaped like a wildcat with a mane. It is hermaphroditic, and those who eat it will not feel jealousy.”

He then added with a hint of ill-intent, “The meat of a Lei is said to be delicious. This one seems to be an adolescent. It’s lucky it ran into you; if demonic cultivators caught it, it would surely be turned into soup.”

The Lei in Qi Ye’s arms seemed to understand Ji Yanqing’s words; it wriggled uneasily and tried to curl itself into a ball.

Qi Ye stroked the white ball to comfort it, now understanding why it was so wary of people. Since he had brought the little fellow back, he proposed to Ji Yanqing: “Senior Brother, since we’re staying here for a few days anyway, why not take it in for a while?”

Perhaps he could find a good home for the Lei before then.

Qi Ye’s request was entirely within Ji Yanqing’s expectations. He frowned slightly and said with impatience, “How troublesome. It can stay, but if it disturbs me, I’ll kick both of you out.” After saying this, he turned to the bed to begin his meditation.

After a long while, Qi Ye withdrew his gaze from Ji Yanqing. He had noticed that the moment he suggested keeping the Lei, Ji Yanqing’s eyes seemed to light up, and a flash of joy crossed them.

Actually, Senior Brother likes this little white ball too, doesn’t he?

Qi Ye told himself this, settled the white ball on a cushion by the bed to sleep, and also began his meditation.

The next morning, when Qi Ye opened his eyes, the white kitten was nowhere to be seen. Ji Yanqing was standing in the room, looking at him arrogantly while urging, “Aren’t you ready to set off yet?”

For some reason, Qi Ye seemed to see a hint of “schadenfreude” (glee at another’s misfortune) in Ji Yanqing’s expression. He didn’t have time to think much of it and got up to head out with Ji Yanqing.

According to the info Qi Ye gathered, the lead on the Glazed Lamp would appear at a place called the Treasure Tower near the inn. Each entry required one hundred high-grade spirit stones, followed by swapping conditions for the desired information.

With everything ready, Qi Ye reached for the storage bag of spirit stones on the bed, only to touch something soft and fluffy.

“Mew!”

The Lei before him appeared to be a size larger than the night before, its white fur even softer and fluffier. As Qi Ye touched it, it wagged its tail and let out a happy cry.

But… where are the spirit stones?

Qi Ye searched every corner of the bed but couldn’t find his stones. His expression shifted slightly. He clearly remembered placing the bag there before meditating last night.

Just then, Ji Yanqing’s triumphant voice sounded from behind him.

“Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday. The Lei has another name: the ‘Four-Legged Gold-Swallowing Beast.’ Its favorite food is spirit stones.”

In truth, Ji Yanqing had anticipated this the moment he saw Qi Ye bring the Lei back. Never would Qi Ye have guessed—this was the real reason he had agreed to keep it!

It certainly wasn’t because it was cute!

Ji Yanqing was extremely proud. According to his plan, without spirit stones, all of Qi Ye’s subsequent actions would have to follow his arrangements.

“Junior Brother Qi is really too careless. It seems you’ll have to use my spirit stones during this time…”

As he spoke, Ji Yanqing reached into his sleeve for his own storage bag, preparing to show off. But he felt the bag was significantly lighter than before. Reaching inside, his face darkened instantly, and his words came to an abrupt halt—

His portion of spirit stones had also been eaten by the Lei.